Cold Days Qs and As

In this Friday Q&A episode, Don answers listener questions on handling backdoor Roth conversions with investment gains, whether Avantis or Vanguard makes more sense for bond investing, and why 529 plans have become even more attractive with new Roth rollover rules. He also tackles a puzzling report of inflated ETF pricing on Vanguard’s platform, urging further investigation, and reassures a listener concerned about AVGE’s diversification compared to VT. Along the way, Don emphasizes the importance of low fees in fixed income, the long-term logic behind factor investing, and the reality that taking additional risk is what creates the potential for higher returns.

0:04 Friday Q&A intro and plea for more listener questions

1:44 Backdoor Roth with gains—how to handle taxable growth

6:01 Avantis vs. Vanguard for bond funds and why fees matter more in fixed income

8:00 Using 529 plans for kids and new Roth rollover rules

11:19 Odd ETF pricing on Vanguard and why it makes no sense

13:38 AVGE vs. VT diversification concerns and factor investing explained

18:24 Risk, factor tilts, and long-term expectations